Perry County, Indiana - Chapter 35: Newspapers and Fraternal Orders, 1916

Notwithstanding the extremely creditable military record made by Perry County soldiery in the field or in defense of home during the war between the states, and the numerous resident veterans who "beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks" when peace was restored, it was not until sixteen years after the first National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic had been held at Indianapolis, November 20, 1866, that any steps were taken toward its organization in the county.

As the first full company of men enlisting had gone out from Cannelton, it seemed altogether appropriate that the association designed to bind together the surviving boys in blue during the remainder of their lives should also be first formed at the county seat.

Hence, in the spring of 1883, the nucleus of a local post was assembled in Cannelton, for which was chosen, by a graceful vote of all the eligible members, the name of a deceased soldier, a lieutenant in the original company leaving the county, whose distinguished personal gallantry under fire had won for him a series of promotions to the final rank of major - Thomas James de la Hunt.

On March 18, therefore, Captain Keller, of Evansville, formally instituted de la Hunt Post, No. 152, Department of Indiana, with the following roster of charter officers and men: James A. Burkett, commandant; Titus Cummings, senior vice; Joseph C. Richey, junior vice; John T. Patrick, quarter-master; John Zimmerman, sergeant-major; Rev. D. T. Davis, chaplain; Jacob B. Snyder, adjutant; John R. Weathers, officer of day; Will N. Underwood, William J.

As this membership represented Tell City, Rome, Leopold, Derby and other localities as well as Cannelton, an awakening of patriotic interest all over the county was a logical consequence. Memorial Day, May 30, was for the first time formally celebrated in a fitting way, and its observance has never been discontinued, although somewhat of its original significance has perhaps been lost sight of by the rising generation, through the pathetically diminishing number of comrades who muster in for the annual march.

On July 4, 1883, Independence Day was celebrated once more in a manner recalling similar demonstrations of the "sixties" in Cannelton, the exercises taking place at "Lion Park," a riverside pleasure resort kept by Anton Schmuck in the former grounds of "Elm Park," the old Francis Y. Carlile homestead.

Under the skilful direction of Mrs. Charles H. Rose (Rose Moore) a chorus of voices rendered "The Star Spangled Banner" and other national songs. Further evidence of feminine talent was the expressive reading of the Declaration of Independence by an accomplished young elocutionist, Miss Blanche Combs (Mrs. Charles B. Tichenor). The Hon. Heber J. May, joint- Senator from Perry and Spencer Counties, was orator of the day, and an original poem was read by Comrade John R. Weathers. A brief address was also delivered by a former Confederate, Dr. John S. Bemiss, who had been a surgeon with Morgan's command. Doctor Bemiss had been one of the mounted marshals in the parade preceding the exercises at Lion Park, and showed his loyalty to a reunited country by the graceful tribute of wearing interwined his own old Southern sash with that of a NortheiTi officer, his devoted personal friend, the late Major de la Hunt.

From that time to the present, many encampments and reunions have been held by de la Hunt Post, and of these the most notable - on account of the famous veterans present - was that of September 4, 5 and 6, 1886, also at Lion Park, which became for the time a tented city. General James C. Veatch, of Rockport; Colonel David Rodman MuiTay, Jr., of Clovei-port; Colonel Charles Denby, of Evansville, afterward Ambassador to China for twelve years, each lent individual distinction to the occasion, but it was absolutely unique among all demonstrations ever witnessed in Perry County through the presence of two Indianians who later attained the supreme honours possible for state or nation to bestow, Alvin P. Hovey and Benjamin Harrison.

As a delicate courtesy to the widow of their namesake, the only woman whom they ever elected to honourary membership, Mrs. de la Hunt (Isabelle Huckeby) was invited by the Post to drive in an open barouche, seated between these two brigadier-generals, and on arrival at the camp they were received with full military honours.

Just a year later than the Cannelton post w^as organized, a charter was issued for Tell City, and the same memorial was there paid one of the town's earliest heroes in selecting his name for the post, and on March 12, 1884, Captain Louis Frey Post, No. 287, was instituted, with George F. Bott, P. C. Rothley, Joseph Molinari, H. A. Grabhorn, Jacob Boyer, G. Zscherpe, Joseph Hauser, John Haerle, Peter Rossman, Edward Schultz, Alexander Gasser and Albert Jehle as its charter members.

With the number of volunteers who had early enlisted from the eastern portion of the county, an organization of survivors in Tobin To\\Tiship might naturally be expected, and in November, 1884, at Rome, Commandant James A. Burkett, of de la Hunt Post, instituted Charles B. Wheeler Post, No. 392, under charter date of November 22, with the following ofR- cers and members : John Arnold Hargis, commandant ; Robert Thompson Huckeby, quarter-master; EHas J. Kaid, quarter-master sergeant; Edmund Connor, sergeant-major; J. F. Connor, chaplain; Jacob Paulman, surgeon; William H. Kyler, officer of day; John

D. Kroush, officer of guard; Andrew J. Earles, A. P. Wheeler, J. W. Wheeler, L. P. Rollins, D. A. Wheeler, Elijah Stroads, A. J. Bryant, John L. Baker, H. B. Mc- Coy, Abraham Crist, R. W. Robinson, H. P. Robinson, Wilham R. Polk, W. R. Gardner, Calvin Sampley.

Franklin Lodge, No. 94, was instituted December 9, 1882, at Tell City, and its original officers were August Schreiber, P. M. W. ; Henry Nimsgern, M. W. ; L. Greiner, G. F. ; John Herrmann, 0.; Leander Yarito, recorder ; D. Charles M. Brucker, F. ; Richard Windpfenning, R. ; J. Gimbel, G. ; A. Gasser, L W.

These lodges have had the usual career of the smaller fraternal and benevolent societies and their earliest years were their best, but William Tell Grove, No. 7, Druids, which was chartered July 7, 1864, to Christian Uebelmesser, Frederick Rass, John Hoby, John Ehret and J. J. Walters, of Tell City, is still in existence, as is also a thrifty Swiss Benevolent Society (Gruetli Unterstuetzungsverein), founded by the earliest colonists and whose membership is limited to Switzer descendants.

E. T. Reis, Philip Meyer, Gottlieb Mann, John H. Noel, John C. Schuing, Michael Hafling and Daniel Mueller. Odd Fellowship has always been strong in Tell City and, May 22, 1873, a charter was issued to Perry- Lodge, No. 418, with John S. Whitten, August Menninger, Andrew J. Smith, Sylvester Rainey, John Buehler, G. W. Lyon, John and Peter Herrmann, C. R. and A. P. Mastin as its first members.

Allemania Encampment, No. 156, was chartered May 18, 1881, to August Schreiber, Anton Moraweck, Louis Koch, Henry Fruehwald, Jacob Epple and Henry Grabhorn.

The sister order of the Rebekah degree was instituted some years later, its installation as Columbia Lodge, No. 314, taking place October 8, 1889, with the following as its first oflficers: John M. Kreisle, noble grand; Rose Althof, vice-grand; Katherine Hugger, secretary; Frederica Bader, treasurer.

Early in the following summer (June, 1890) a sister lodge, Ohio No. 329, was instituted at Cannelton, members from Columbia participating in the installation of its first officers : William A. Wilson, noble grand ; Mrs. Sarah (Cleveland) Henning, vice-grand; Mrs. Clara (L'Argent) Huston, permanent secretary; Ella May Henning (Mrs. William Ellsworth Richey), recording secretary; Ella Wheeler (Mrs. Oscar Myers), treasurer; Mrs. Eliza (Fairhurst) Chilton, warden; Mrs. Amelia (Johann) Plock, conductress; Mrs. Katherine (Klein) Loesch, inner guard; Philip Fuchs, outer guard; Mrs. Ella (Reed) Truempy and Margaret Chilton (Mrs. Charles A. Loesch), supporters noble grand; Mrs. Dinah (Piatt) May, supporter vice-grand.

The Knights of Pythias were introduced to the county* by the institution of Tell City Lodge, No. 203, Knights of Pythias, on December 17, 1888, with twenty-two members and officers. Harry Delany, of Huntingburg, acting as special deputy, conducted the ceremonies, assisted by brother knights from Huntingburg Lodge, No. 161, Lodge No. 64 and Uniform Rank Division No. 46, from Boonville. The original officers installed were: Charles M. Brucker, past chancellor; Gabriel Schmuck Dusch, chancellor commander ; Henry

D. Stuehrk, vice-chancellor; Albert P. Fenn, prelate; Robert Huelsman, master of exchecquer; John Begert, Jr., master of arms ; Henry J. Stuehrk, keeper of record and seal ; Philip Zoercher, master at arms ; Charles Ebersold, inside guardian; Charles Meckert, outside guardian; William J. Becker, Gustave Walter, John Hartman, trustees.

"Founded on naught but the purest and sincerest motives," as reads the opening sentence of their bylaws, Pythianism in Tell City has maintained a steady career, and despite the lapse of years several of the foregoing names remain on the roll of active Knights.

George R. May, Henry H. Wilber, Jacob B. Snyder, George W. Pohl and Francis W. Feagans, of Cannelton, were among the charter members of this lodge, and with the increase of interest which their own town came to feel, an organization was effected there some fifteen months later. Ambrosia Lodge, No. 250, was instituted March 25, 1890, at Cannelton, with the following officers: William F. Lees, past chancellor; Frank G. Whitacre, chancellor commander; James R. Lees, vice-chancellor; Benjamin F. Hemphill, prelate; Julius Peters, keeper of record and seal; John D. Mitchell, master at aiTns; W. B. Spurlock, inside guardian; John Heubi, outside guard; John T. Hay, Charles F. Breidenbach, Shubal C. Little, trustees. Some few years later, a UnifoiTn Rank iHvision was instituted, but removals and deaths so far reoiluced the resident membership in course of time that it was decided to surrender both charters and disband as an organized body.

Freemasonry in Tell City had its beginning in the middle seventies, when Tell City Lodge, No. 507, was instituted, with Simon Jaseph, Jr., worshipful master ; James Clark, senior warden; August Schreiber, junior warden ; Frederick Voelke, treasurer, and August Menninger, secretary, but the membership was never large and its existence was not of long duration.

was carried on for a time by dispensation, some years afterward, and May 23, 1899, a charter was granted to Tell City Lodge, No. 623. Its officers then were Frederick G. Heinzle, worshipful master; Philip Zoercher, senior warden; William H. Schaeffer, junior warden; Albert P. Fenn, secretary; Joseph N. Dodson, treasurer; Henry J. Stuehrk, senior deacon; William S. Webb, junior deacon; August Schreiber, senior sentinel; John T. Patrick, junior sentinel; Casper Gloor, tyler. The present society now embraces many of the community's most valuable and representative citizens, both young and old.

Derby Lodge, No. 1631, was the first Knights of Honour organization in Perry County, instituted in May, 1879, by Dr. Emanuel R. Hawn, of Leavenworth. Its charter members were Marion Fite, Dr. James B. Bennett, S. N. Badger, Scott Cunningham, Joseph Yates, Robert Brodie, John W. Davis, John S. Williams, Matthew Cunningham, W. H. Richardson, W. H. Jones, J. T. Gilliland and Solomon Snyder.

During the next year, or September 16, 1880, James W. Jacobs, grand protector of Indiana, organized a lodge at Cannelton for which a charter was issued June 8, 1881, as Excelsior Lodge, No. 2293, with John Zimmerman, dictator; Caleb W. Knights, reporter; Leonard May, treasurer, and twenty-five additional names upon its charter roll.

Practically contemporary, and marking a period of growth among societies for fraternal insurance on the mutual plan, was the organization, January 18, 1888, in Cannelton, of Father Book Branch, No. 519, Catholic Knights of America, whose first officers were: Timothy T. Whelan, president; John J. McCarty, vicepresident; Joseph P. Clemens, recording secretary; Isaac C. Dunn, financial secretary; Lawrence Keenan, treasurer; John Hayes, sergeant-at-arms ; Edwin B. Latimer, sentinel; Dr. Charles W. Ladd, examiner; Frank Gerber, Sr., Timothy E. Sweeney and Emil E. Haering, trustees.

As spiritual director was chosen the Rev. John W. Book, then the joint pastor of St. Patrick's and St. Michael's congregations, the bestowal of whose name upon the society was but one mark of the affection in which he was held by his own people - an esteem shared by many outside his flock. Of German descent, though a native of Clark County, Indiana, October 21, 1850, he was the son of William and Mary (Engel) Book. Entering St. Meinrad's Abbey at the age of fifteen, his religious education was completed there, with the exception of two years' study at old St. Joseph's College, Bardstown, Kentucky.

Elevated to holy orders on All Souls' Day (November 2), 1873, by the Right Reverend Maurice de St. Palais, Bishop of Vincennes, he was given his first charge in the following January, St. Bernard's parish at Rockport, also serving St. Martin's, Centerville, and St. Rupert's, Yankeetown, as rural missions. In the summer of 1885 he was transferred to Cannelton, where he remained until the close of his earthly labours, October 1, 1898.

He was a contributor to various magazines and periodicals, besides the author of several books gaining wide circulation, making for him a reputation which his personal diffidence never allowed him to claim. During his lingering illness he was constantly visited by warm friends of every creed, whose welcome at his bedside met no shade of difference, each caller leaving with a sense of benediction, whether spoken or unuttered. The imposing obsequies in which twenty-five priests participated, October 4, in St. Michael's Church, marked a day of respectful veneration to his memory among all who had known him as a fellow-citizen of southern Indiana.

St. Paul's Branch, No. 557, at Tell City, was instituted a year later than that founded at Cannelton, forty-two names comprising its charter membership, which has increased (1915) to one hundred and eighty. Anton Paalz, president; Michael J. Dosch, vice-presi- dent ; George Reimann, secretary ; John Birchler, treasurer, and the Reverend William Kemper, spiritual director, were the original officers.

The centenary of Washington's first inauguration, which had a nation-wide observance on April 30, 1889, was not ignored in Perry County. Red-white-and-blue decorated homes, business houses and public buildings, appropriate exercises were held in the principal towns, perhaps the most distinctly commemorative being the brief rehgious service in St. Luke's Church, Cannelton.

It is a matter of national history that Washington, who was a communicant of the Church of England, when Virginia was a royal province, and a vestryman of Christ Church, Alexandria, devoutly attended worship in St. Paul's Chapel (Trinity Parish), New York, just after the inaugural ceremonies. He was accompanied thither on foot from Federal Hall by the Vice- President, the Speaker, the two houses of Congress, and all who had taken part in the inauguration. They passed through a military guard into the church, where services were conducted by the Right Reverend Samuel Provoost, Bishop of New York, who was also Chaplain of the Senate. After prayers for the day were read and a "Te Deum" of thanksgiving had been sung, the President entered his state coach and was escorted to his lodgings.

The pew in which he sat is marked by a suitable inscription today, and on April 30, 1889, was occupied by another President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, of Indiana, who took part in the same words of prayer and praise, read from the original Colonial prayer-book by another Bishop of New York, the Right Reverend Henry Codman Potter.

In grateful recognition of Divine benevolence, the Bishops of the American Church ordered the same exact ritual to be used in all the Episcopal churches on the anniversary day, so the identical offices in which the Father of his country had participated were reverently conducted a hundred years later in St. Luke's

Eighteen and eighty-nine was a year of patriotism everywhere, and saw the first mihtary organization (except during war time) in Perry County since the days of old mihtia musterings. This was a troop of Cannelton's young men, induced to enhst in the state guard through the persuasiveness of WilHam Cleveland Henning, who had just returned from DePauw University where he had belonged to the cadet corps while pursuing his law studies.

He was elected captain of the Cannelton Light Infantry, Company D, First Regiment Indiana Militia, with George Palmer first lieutenant, and Edward Everett Cummings second lieutenant. Mozart Hall was obtained for drill purposes, its name becoming 'The Armoury," and the company made a creditable showing during the period for which its men enlisted, attending state encampments, giving exhibition drills, dress parades, etc., and holding enjoyable military balls in the hall. The company's name was changed to the Ewing Guards in compliment to one of the state officers, but it was not reorganized after expiration of its term of service.

Captain Henning was his father's namesake and the eldest son born to the third marriage of William Henning, Sr., a native of Pennsylvania, December 17, 1829, but who was taken when six months' old to Germany by his parents, John and Dorothea (Hildebrand) Henning. At the age of twenty he came back to America, living for a time near his birthplace but later in the "panhandle" of (West) Virginia, and in Ohio. Here he studied law, and in December, 1858, at Columbus, was admitted by the Supreme Court of Ohio to the practice of his chosen profession.

His first marriage took place June 2, 1850, at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth Helfenbein, who bore him one child. After her death, in 1854, Lena Howiler became his wife, at Millersburg, Ohio, and was the mother of two children. She died in 1858, and September, 1860, he was again married, to Sarah EHzabeth Cleveland, of Calais, Ohio. This union lasted into its fortieth year, William Henning's death occurring March 27, 1900, and nine children grew to maturity as its offspring. Of these, eight were born in Cannelton, which was the family home after 1866.

William Henning and William Cleveland Henning practiced law together and were especially active in promoting the erection of the Cannelton water-works and electric light plants, whose construction work was done during the years of 1892-93. William W. Taylor, of Pennsylvania, a brother to Bayard Taylor, the poet, was builder and first superintendent, making his home for a time in Cannelton. Some five years later the Tell City people installed their municipal system of light and water, the cornerstone of the power-house being laid with formal public exercises.

In proportion to its population no part of Indiana or of the nation showed greater interest or enthusiasm in the Columbian anniversary. October 12, 1892, found all of Perry County aglow with light and colour for "Columbus Day," and no sight more picturesque was ever witnessed in Cannelton or Tell City than the torchlight procession of that night, with their symbolic floats. Master Louis Gerard Snyder represented Columbus in the reproduction of the "Santa Maria" at Cannelton, carrying the royal Spanish standard, handwrought in satin, and on another float Queen Isabella in the midst of her courtiers was impersonated by Miss Sarah Lillian Dwyer (Mrs. Robert Curtis Clark).

Cannelton can claim with certainty to have been one among the earliest of Southern Indiana towns enjoying a public library, although the present officially acknowledged public library is separated by a half-century's distance from the modest little collection of books brought together in the early 'fifties under the style "Workingmen's Institute."

This was one out of 160 "institutes" profiting through the will of the famous William Maclure, of New Harmony, who bequeathed almost his entire fortune toward the founding of "associations for the diffusion of useful knowledge," at his death March 27, 1840, in San Angel, Mexico. His estate was left to trustees who were to appropriate a sum not exceeding $500 to any institute or club of workingmen in the United States that could give satisfactory evidence that they were properly organized and had a reading room of one hundred volumes.

As might be expected, applications poured in from many states, until the whole fund was distributed. Cannelton was among the fortunate ones, but had no endowment for further maintenance after buying five hundred dollars' worth of books. No record is in evidence as to the dissolution of the Workingmen's Institute, and its existence is only to be traced by some of its volumes yet treasured on the private shelves of old families whose members were among its original patrons.

But the taste for reading never died out. In the summer of 1893 some fifty citizens joined in forming a subscription library, open to members and their families on payment of an entrance fee and small monthly dues. At the beginning three hundred volumes were purchased and others were added as rapidly as the limited income would permit. The books (kept in a private office), circulated widely, even beyond authorized bounds, proving the genuine demand for good reading matter. This, the city council came to recognize in 1896, by making a tax levy of one-half of one per cent, for the establishment and support of a free public library under jurisdiction of the municipal board of education.

This was felt to mark an era of progress by those who had so long and patiently striven to create and mould a local sentiment toward this end, and the immediate popularity which followed the opening of the library fully justified the sanguine hopes of its optimistic promoters. As a recognition of the faithful and arduous individual efforts exerted in three special instances, Mrs. Isabelle (Huckeby) de la Hunt, Solomon H. Esarey, and Thomas J. Truempy were appointed the original Book Committee, and in such capacity continued for several years to supervise the selection of new books. Semi-annual purchases were usually made, thus keeping somewhat abreast of current literature, though the standard classics were never ignored, and the resulting accumulation of nearly three thousand volumes has come to represent a liberal judgment along many lines.

The first librarian was Mary Catherine Adkins (Mrs. William May), who held the post until 1900, when followed by Edward Everett Cummings, Charles A. Loesch becoming his successor after two years. In September, 1902, the library was moved from its previously cramped quarters in a narrow hallway to an airy, spacious and well-lighted room on the ground floor of the City Hall, where the books have since been kept. Direct access to the shelves has always been permitted, and through the personal labour of the Woman's Travel Club in 1915, a card catalogue was installed, although the numbering is simply that of accession and does not follow any of the standard systems of library cataloguing, such as the Dewey-Decimal or the Poole.

It is distinctly creditable to Cannelton that such an institution has been founded and kept up, even upon so small a scale, purely by civic pride. No donations have ever been received other than the volumes originally comprised in the subscription library, yet the eye of Hope still turns toward the munificence of Indiana's already liberal benefactor - Andrew Carnegie.